The New Christs last gave us a full-length album of new material over five years ago, but the wait for aย local show is finally over.ย
June saw the band return to record store shelves with their fifth studio album, โIncantationsโ and fresh from a European tour they are now headed across the Australian east coast.
Recorded by Jim Moginie (Midnight Oil) in his Sydney studio and mixed at the famed Alberts Studios by award-winning engineer Wayne Connolly, the album highlights the bands diverse song-writing talents while maintaining the high-energy performance they have become known for across their three-decade-long history.
โIncantationsโ opens in party mode with โGhostlikeโ, a stomp that kicks in hard and never lets up.
The New Christs move into their unique and familiar rock sound tinged with surf and garage on tracks like โWaves Formโ and the intriguing spytheme like โUnlessโ. โIt Means Everythingโ will more than satisfy the rock n roll crew, and thereสผs a relentless grind and menace to โItสผs Not A Gameโ and โPrecious Littleโ.
Overwhelmingly, however, the record is speckled with moments of pure pop: โGolden Streetโ and โWe Are Loversโ reveal a delicate side of The New Christs with Younger singing in a lower register to great effect. ย Then there is the gloriously bittersweet โThis Is A Partyโ, which would sit well alongside older gems like โOn Top Of Meโ (We Got This, 2002). ย โIncantationsโ is another diverse, cohesive and exciting record from a band that continues to be vibrant and vital.
While it has taken some time to get together their new album, the band has kept busy during that time, completing two European tours, numerous Australian shows and playing at Dig It Up Festival in 2012.
Their last trip to Europe saw influential Spanish magazine Ruta 66 declare them โbest international live actโ for that year.
Their Paris show was also a traffic stopper, literally, playing to a clogged street full of ecstatic rock fans for the annual Fรชte de la Musique.
With a line-up that consists of founding member and vocalist Rob Younger (Radio Birdman) alongside longtime members Jim Dickson (bass), Dave Kettley (guitar) and Brent Williams (keyboards/ guitar), โIncantationsโ is the first recorded material featuring drummer Paul Larsen Loughhead.
The New Christs play The Small Ballroom onย Saturday, 30 August at 8 pm. Visit the venue’s website for more details and to purchase tickets.
